The Geography Blog focusing on all things geography: human, physical, technical, space, news, and geopolitics. Also known as Geographic Travels with Catholicgauze!
Written by a former National Geographic employee who also proudly served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

While the egalitarianism of geotechology can be good like saving time driving, it like all tools can be used for nefarious purposes. There is a debate roaring about the balance of freedom of information versus security. Some countries ban the use of Google Earth while others have successfully "requested" Google censor or blur "critical" locations. Other mapping programs such as GeoPortail have white spaces where key military structures are.

Except more censorship issues as those who seek ill use Google Earth for their own purposes. A brave new future indeed.

Re India: Google agreed to no such thing. The Times of India suffered from a case of wishful thinking brought on from excessive nationalism. Google simply accepted a list of sites India would like censored. The sites are not censored. Link

As for the Belgian royal stables -- I haven't heard of that one. I would be very surprised if Google has anything to do with it.

In the US at least, I should think that Google has a first amendment right to publish the imagery available to it. Acceding to the British request on Basra was a praiseworthy act of good will. If Google can get this imagery, is it not just a matter of time before terrorists find a way to obtain it?

Is "Freedom of information" actually constitutionally protected in the U.S. or enshrined in any international charter? I know there is a "Freedom of Information Act," but has it been challenged in court? FOI has to be balanced by security. I don't see where FOI is relevant to the First Amendment, the purpose of which was to give citizens the right to address (by speech or writing) wrongs of government. I would not call this Google Earth case censorship.

goethe girl, my comment was about Google's first amendment right to publish. I agree the FOI does not convey a constitutional right to get info from the government. However Google gets its images - there are sources other than NASA, it is up to Google to use them or not use them.